And Then There's My Path
by Actrez
Summary: Moments of Lorelai and Rory's lives from the time Lorelai stops being a child to the first episode. Chapter 3 up July 11, 2003
1. Maybe I Grew Up A Little Too Soon

And Then There's My Path. . . Author: Actrez Disclaimer: Gilmore Girls belongs to the brilliant Amy Sherman-Palladino along with the many other wonderful producers, etc. that make this show possible. Date started: June 26, 2003 Rating: PG Summary: Moments of Lorelai and Rory's lives from the time Lorelai stops being a child to the first episode. Author's Note: I've tried to use as much information about Lorelai and Rory that the show has given us thus far. Sorry if I missed anything.  
  
~~~~ indicates a new scene.  
  
There are many paths in life. There's the- Hey you're cute and sure  
I'll marry you after graduation and med school and hey can you drive  
Susie to soccer today 'cause I have a pedicure path. And then they're  
my path-where I found myself sixteen and pregnant and I realized-I  
have to get a job, I have to raise a kid. And being me-I have to do it  
all by myself. Not easy. But this thing with my path is when I reached  
the end, I turned around and realized I'd ended up someplace really  
good.  
  
Part 1  
  
"Lorelai dinner!" Lorelai heard her mom call from downstairs. She ignored it and continued to focus on the timer that was slowly ticking down the seconds. Her gaze moved to the small stick sitting next to the timer. A loud buzzer filled the room causing her to jump. She stood on shaky legs and grabbed the pregnancy test, "Oh God," she gasped.  
  
"Lorelai," her mother called from outside the door, "dinner is ready."  
  
"I'll be there in a second," she said, surprised her voice didn't quiver.  
  
Her mom sighed and a few seconds later Lorelai could hear her walking away. She threw the test away and splashed some cold water on her face before opening the door and heading down for dinner.  
  
"Honestly Lorelai," her mother said as Lorelai sat down, "It's your birthday dinner, I would think you would at least be on time."  
  
"Let's eat, shall we?" Richard asked from the other end of the table.  
  
Lorelai sighed and began picking at her food, "Why aren't you eating?" Emily asked her.  
  
She groaned, swallowing the bile rising in her throat, "The pate smells like Clorox," she said, pushing her plate away from her.  
  
Emily let her fork drop onto her plate loudly, "Lorelai-"  
  
"I'm not going to eat food that smells like a cleaning product Mom."  
  
"It does not smell like a cleaning product," Emily insisted.  
  
"Yes it does, it smells like Clorox."  
  
"Lorelai can you please just sit through one dinner and be civil."  
  
"I just said it smells like Clorox! It's not like you made it."  
  
"Lorelai-"  
  
She gagged and shoved her chair back, "I can't sit by this stuff anymore," she said before leaving, while her mother called after her. She collapsed down onto her bed with a sigh. Her hands fell to her stomach and tears instantly filled her eyes. A knock on her window broke the stillness of the room and caused her to jump.  
  
She wiped at her eyes and walked over to the window, "Happy Birthday," Chris greeted her with a quick kiss before noticing her red eyes, "What's wrong."  
  
Lorelai sighed and leaned against the window, "Lor?" Chris questioned when she still didn't respond.  
  
"I'm pregnant."  
  
He stared at her blankly for a moment, "Are you sure?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
~~~~~  
  
The room was quiet as they ate dinner, the tension from Lorelai and Emily's last argument still hanging over them.  
  
Lorelai glanced down at her father. She wondered how far through her nine months she could get before she had to tell her parents. Her hand feel to her slightly bulging stomach that she had managed to hid under an oversized shirt. She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, "I'm pregnant."  
  
A short silence followed before Emily spoke, "Lorelai that is not something to joke about."  
  
"I'm not joking."  
  
The silence that followed was only broken by the clatter of Emily's fork as it fell onto her plate. Lorelai looked from one of her parents to the other. Neither of their faces held any emotion but there was something in their eyes she had never seen before. She wondered for a fleeting moment if her comment had shrunk them. They seemed much smaller than she remembered them being when they had sat down for dinner.  
  
"I'm going upstairs," she said, wanting to get out of the room before her parents had digested the information.  
  
Lorelai was listening to John Mellencamp when her mom walked into her room twenty minutes later, "Lorelai please come downstairs. Christopher and his parents will be here soon." Emily left without waiting for Lorelai's response.  
  
"Great," Lorelai muttered as she followed her mother downstairs.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"There is no discussion on this Lorelai," Emily said as Lorelai sat with Christopher on the couch. "You will get married and raise the baby here."  
  
"You can't make me get married!" she argued.  
  
"Lorelai you are pregnant."  
  
"Oh, thanks for the update."  
  
"When you get pregnant you get married."  
  
"We don't want to get married!"  
  
"Christopher does."  
  
"Stop talking about him like he's not here mom."  
  
Emily ignored her and turned to Christopher, "Do you want to get married?"  
  
Lorelai turned towards him also, looking at him expectantly.  
  
"I think it's the right think to do," he finally answered.  
  
"That's not what she asked," Lorelai told him, "She asked if you want to." He was silent, "Chris you know as well as I do that we can't."  
  
"Then what are we supposed to do Lor?" he demanded.  
  
"We'll figure something out."  
  
"Lorelai you are being completely irresponsible. A child needs a mother and a father."  
  
"It will have that, just because we're not married doesn't mean Chris isn't the baby's father."  
  
"You can't raise a child on your own."  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confidence mom," Lorelai said before standing up and leaving.  
  
"Lorelai," her mom called. She ignored her and continued upstairs.  
  
~~~~~  
  
"Lorelai would you please hurry up, our guests will be arriving any minute," Emily called from the bottom of the stairs.  
  
Lorelai appeared a few seconds later. "Why do I even have to be here tonight mom? They're all your friends," Lorelai muttered, crabby at the idea of this 'little get together' with a hundred plus people and no apple tarts.  
  
"Because you are a part of this family Lorelai," Emily stopped and looked Lorelai over, "That's not the dress I bought you."  
  
"No, it's the dress I bought me."  
  
"What happened to the dress I bought you?"  
  
"It doesn't fit," Lorelai said, gesturing to her expanding stomach.  
  
"Oh." The doorbell rang, stopping the conversation from continuing. "Nancy, please get that," Emily called to their current maid.  
  
"Let the games begin," Lorelai muttered as her mom walked away.  
  
"Richard, the guests are arriving, please get off the phone," Lorelai heard her mother say from her father's office as she went to fix herself a cup of coffee.  
  
Lorelai sat in the living room a few hours later, eating some of the fancy crackers the caterers had provided, and trying to overhear the argument between the couple behind her.  
  
"Lorelai," one of her mother's friends said as she sat down next to her. "How are you feeling?" she asked, staring more at Lorelai's stomach than her face.  
  
It's not like I'm the first person to ever get pregnant, she thought. "Fine," she said, managing a polite smile.  
  
"So have you started planning the wedding yet?"  
  
"I'm not getting married," she told her quickly.  
  
"Oh," the woman seemed shocked by this, "I just assumed you and Christopher would get married since-"  
  
"Well we're not," she told her quickly, "Excuse me," she said before standing up and leaving.  
  
Lorelai walked into the kitchen and found her mother yelling at the cooks to hurry up. "Are you telling people I'm getting married? She demanded.  
  
"Lorelai, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Why did one of your friends just ask me if I'd started planning the wedding?"  
  
"People assume you're getting married Lorelai. That is what you do when you get pregnant."  
  
"And you haven't been telling them I'm not?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Do you think they're just not going to notice?"  
  
"Lorelai I don't want to discuss this. I have guest to attend to," her mom said before leaving the kitchen.  
  
Lorelai let out a frustrated sigh before going over to the freezer and grabbing the pint of chocolate ice cream and heading upstairs.  
  
End of part one. 


	2. First Steps

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciated the feedback!  
  
First Steps  
  
Rory clapped her hands together, reaching for the spoon in Lorelai's hands. "You want more?" Lorelai spooned more of the applesauce into Rory's mouth and Rory grinned, causing some of the applesauce to slide down her chin. Lorelai laughed and wiped it away.  
  
"Lorelai," Emily said from the end of the table.  
  
Rory let out a impatient whimper and reached for the spoon.  
  
"Your father and I are going out tonight."  
  
Rory grunted as she snatched the spoon from Lorelai then let out a triumphant giggle.  
  
"I'll ask Rachel to stay with you."  
  
"I think I'm old enough to stay home alone, mom," Lorelai said, her voice edge with annoyance.  
  
"I meant to help you take care of Rory," Emily said evenly, watching as Rory messily spooned the applesauce into her mouth which seemed to go unnoticed by Lorelai.  
  
Lorelai let out an annoyed sigh, "I can take care of my kid on my own mom."  
  
"Lorelai-" her mom started equally annoyed.  
  
Suddenly Lorelai felt something wet hit her check and begin to drip down her chin. She turned to a giggling Rory and grinned. She dipped her finger into the applesauce and smeared it on Rory's nose. Rory laughed loudly, hitting the highchair tray with her spoon.  
  
"Lorelai, please don't encourage her," Emily said, the exhaustion of dealing with Lorelai's ways of parenting obvious in her voice. Ever since Rory was born Lorelai had done little to discipline her, despite Emily's constant reminders that if Lorelai didn't control her daughter now she wouldn't be able to as she got older.  
  
"Mom would you please just let me take care of my kid how I want to."  
  
"You need to discipline her," Emily told her, "You have to start being more responsible with her."  
  
"Mom I've got it covered." Lorelai wiped the applesauce off of her face then off of Rory's, ignoring her mother's tirade.  
  
"For the past year you've been dealing with Rory as if you were her babysitter. You have to start disciplining her Lorelai, nobody else is going to do it for you," Emily said as Lorelai lifted Rory from her high chair, "You have to let her know who's in charge."  
  
Lorelai looked at Rory and rolled her eyes as they headed upstairs. She refused to bring Rory up the same way she had been. No matter what she was going to make sure that Rory didn't turn out like her. Rory would finish high school and go to a college that would let her do anything she wanted with her life.  
  
Lorelai set the duffle bag on her bed and began pulling clothes off of hangers and out of drawers and stuffing them in to the bag. Rory watched quietly from her crib. Lorelai pulled the stiff, lacy white dress Emily had insisted on buying Rory, "We don't need this do we?" she asked Rory before putting it back in the closet.  
  
She grabbed Rory's diaper bag and began stuffing it full of diapers. Ever since Rory was born her mom had been trying to turn her granddaughter into to the daughter she never had. Lorelai didn't want Rory growing up in this world of debutant balls and starched white dresses you couldn't play in. She wanted Rory to grow up in the normal world where dinner was only one course long and you had to clean your own room.  
  
She grabbed all the money she had saved up and stuffed it in her pocket. Then she scoped Rory up out of her crib and sat her on the bed so she could put her coat on her. Once Rory's coat was zipped Lorelai slid her coat on and glanced around the room, "Oh," she said spotting Rory's favorite blanket, "Can't forget this," she handed it to Rory, "Can you hold it for me?"  
  
Rory grunted as she grabbed for the blanket. She clutched the blanket to her chest and let her self fall onto her side, she pulled the blanket up towards her face and watched as her mom rushed around the room.  
  
Lorelai put the duffle bag over her shoulder and across her chest and put the diaper bag across her other shoulder. She picked up Rory and hurried down the stairs, knowing her parents were still getting ready for their evening. "Should we leave a note?"  
  
"Huh," Rory grunted as she grabbed a chunk of Lorelai's hair and put it in her mouth.  
  
Lorelai sighed, "Okay, you're too nice." Lorelai grabbed a piece of paper from her dad's office and wrote her parents a quick note.  
  
Dear Mom and Dad,  
I can't live off you guys forever so Rory and I are going to build a  
life of our own. I don't know where we're going but I'll call you when  
we get there.  
Love,  
Lorelai and Rory  
  
She shoved the note in an envelope and dropped it on the dining room table on her way toward the door. She put Rory in her stroller, "Wave bye-bye."  
  
Rory waved with her blanket still in her hand and Lorelai eased her stroller onto the porch and shut the door behind her.  
  
Lorelai wasn't really sure where they were going. She planned on riding the bus as far as the driver would take them based on the amount of money she was willing to pay. She was hoping when they got there what to do next would just. . .come to her.  
  
~~~~~  
  
The bus driver looked at Lorelai as he came to a stop in a small town about a half hour away form Hartford. "This is your stop," he told her as the doors wheezed open.  
  
"Thanks," she said, standing up and putting the bags across her shoulders again.  
  
"Let us help you with that hun," a voice said from behind her as she was leaning down to pick Rory's stroller up and carry it down the stairs.  
  
Lorelai stood up and saw a shorter blonde woman standing next to a tall lean man. The woman elbowed the man and he leaned down and picked up Rory's stroller. He placed it on the sidewalk and Lorelai grinned at him, "Thanks."  
  
"Oh don't worry about it doll face.," the woman told her with a wave of her hand. "I'm Babette and this is Morey."  
  
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Lorelai and this is my daughter Rory," she glanced down at Rory who had fallen asleep on the bus ride.  
  
"Oh isn't she adorable," Babette said, "Are you visiting Stars Hallow?"  
  
"No, we're staying here," Babette seemed pleased with this answer and Lorelai grinned at her. "Do you know if anyone is hiring?"  
  
"Oh the person to ask that is Miss Patty. She runs the dance studio," Babette said. She pointed down across the street where the dance studio was and Lorelai got the feeling that there weren't very many secrets in this town.. "She always knows who's hiring."  
  
"Thanks," Lorelai said as she turned Rory's stroller around and headed toward the dance studio.  
  
"See you around baby doll," Babette called as they parted.  
  
"Miss Patty?" Lorelai asked the woman who was leaning against the doorway smoking a cigarette while instructing a children's ballet class.  
  
"Yes dear?"  
  
"I'm Lorelai Gilmore, this is my daughter Rory-"  
  
"Oh she's gorgeous," Miss Patty interrupted her leaning towards Rory. "Oh, look at those legs. She's going to be a dancer." Miss Patty straightened up and looked at Lorelai, "Do you dance dear?"  
  
Lorelai smiled, she hoped everyone in Stars Hallow was as friendly as Babette and Miss Patty. "No," Miss Patty let out a disappointed sight, "I was wondering if anyone in town was hiring-Babette said you were the person to talk to."  
  
"Oh you've met Babette?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"She's a doll isn't she?"  
  
"Yeah, she is."  
  
"Well I think Mia is hiring at the Independence Inn. It's down a few blocks, do you need someone to show you?" Miss Patty asked the young girl standing in front of her. She was a very pretty girl, Miss Patty made a mental note to start looking for possible guys to set her up with.  
  
"No I'll find it. Thanks."  
  
"Anytime dear."  
  
"Nice town huh Rory?" Lorelai said as they walked down the street, taking it all in.  
  
Rory began squirming and let out a little cry. Lorelai stopped and took the bags off her shoulders before picking Rory up and putting the bags in the stroller. "You getting hungry?" she asked as they started walking again.  
  
The small town was beginning to close down for the night. People were walking home talking and laughing. There was a burst of noise as a group of children finished up their game of tag. Lorelai smiled at an older couple who were walking down the street hand in hand. This was exactly the kind of town Rory and she needed.  
  
"I think this is it," Lorelai told Rory as they stood in front of the Independence Inn sign. Rory squirmed a little, grabbing the neck of Lorelai's shirt. "All right, we're going in," she told Rory before taking a deep breath and walking up to the Inn. "Let's hope this works babe."  
  
The Inn was a little like B and B without the creepy factor. Lorelai walked up to the desk where a woman was going through the reservation book. "I'm here for a job," Lorelai said when the woman looked up, "Any job."  
  
A warm smile spread across the woman's face, "What kind of training have you had?"  
  
"None." Lorelai's heart fluttered with nervousness, what if this didn't work? What would she do then? They couldn't just live on the street. She forced herself to stop her train of thought and focus on getting a job.  
  
The smile faltered, "Do you have any references from past jobs?"  
  
"No." The smile completely disappeared from the woman's face as she looked Lorelai over. Lorelai was about ready to start begging when the woman finally spoke again.  
  
"Well, we could use another maid if you're interested," she offered, the girl was so young, she couldn't just push her out onto the street.  
  
A relieved smile spread across Lorelai's face, "Ok."  
  
The woman smiled again, "I'm Mia."  
  
Mia stuck out her hand and Lorelai accepted it. "Lorelai Gilmore, this is Rory."  
  
"Hi Rory. How old is she?" Mia smiled and waved at Rory and Rory gave a little wave back.  
  
"One." Lorelai answered as Rory curled up against her, her eyes wide as she looked at Mia. "Do you have any spare rooms?" she asked, hoping she wasn't asking for too much. She tried not to think about the fact that she could only afford a room for a night or so and then she was going to have to find somewhere for she and Rory to live permanently. She wasn't sure what her wage would be but she was pretty sure it wouldn't be enough for a house and maybe not an apartment, at least not at first.  
  
"Of course," Mia said, then glanced at Lorelai again as she checked the reservations book. The girl was going to need more than just a job, she was going to have to stay somewhere other than a room at an Inn. "I have a tool shed out back that we never use. If you want to fix it up for you and Rory you're welcome to," Mia mentioned casually, not wanting it to seem like a hand out.  
  
Lorelai stared at her for a moment, "Yeah, thank you," she said surprised by the generous offer. Relief flooded through her at the idea of not having to worry about finding a cheap, safe place from them to live. Eventually they would have to find a real home but this would be a great place for them to stay until she could afford a place.  
  
Mia smiled and handed her a room key, "Get some rest and we can start your training in the morning."  
  
Lorelai nodded and smiled again, "Thanks Mia." Thanks didn't seem like nearly enough to express her gratitude that this woman who barely knew her was giving her a place to live and a way to make enough money to support her and Rory. She took the key, "Thanks," she told her again before she headed up to their room.  
  
End of Part 2-I'm hoping to have Part 3 up by Friday 07/11/03 at the latest. 


	3. Getting Started

Thanks again for all the great feedback guys!!  
  
Getting Started  
  
Lorelai looked around the tool shed. She had been working everyday for the past two weeks and today she finally had a day off. The tool shed had nothing more than the basics in it: a sink, a toilet, a bathtub, a bed, and a crib, all of which she'd been able to get pretty cheap from around town. The bed had come from Mia who had insisted she take one of the old Inn beds from storage. She had found the crib at a garage sale near Babette's house. The bathroom stuff had come from Miss Patty who had just redone her bathroom. Although Lorelai had tried to install the bathroom on her own she had quickly learned that she wasn't destined to be a plumber and called in a professional.  
  
"So what do you think kid?" Lorelai asked as Rory waddled towards her, "You want to go shopping?"  
  
Rory lifted her arms up letting her mom know she wanted to be picked up. She squealed happily as her mom threw her up into the air and swung her around.  
  
"Enjoy your day off," Mia told Lorelai as she and Rory crossed the lobby.  
  
"Thanks, see you later," Lorelai waved before swinging Rory around again, causing her to giggle loudly.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Richard Gilmore watched his wife from the doorway of their bedroom as she played the message again.  
  
"Hi mom and dad, it's me-Lorelai," their daughter's familiar voice spoke. A squeal of delight could be heard from Rory. "Rory, sh," Lorelai laughed, her voice a little distant. "I just wanted to let you know that Rory and I found a place to stay, so we're gonna be ok," Rory giggled loudly and when Lorelai spoke again it was obvious she was smiling, "I'll call you later. Bye."  
  
That had been the tenth time Emily had listened to the message since she woke up, hoping she could get some kind of clue as to where her daughter was. But there were no voices or noises in the back round other than Rory.  
  
Emily pressed the play button again. How could she have pushed her own daughter away so much that she would rather live God knows where with no money, than with her parents?  
  
"Emily," Richard said, tired of watching his wife sit in bed all day long, waiting for their daughter to call. How could Lorelai have done this? She had completely embarrassed them by forcing them to tell their friends that their daughter was pregnant and would not be getting married. Now she had run away leaving them no way to contact her. "Don't you have a DAR meeting?  
  
"I'm not going," Emily told her husband as the message finished. The last time she had left the house Lorelai had called, she had to stay home just in case she called again.  
  
"Emily you can't stay in bed forever," Richard argued, wishing there was something he could do, some way he could get Lorelai to come home.  
  
"Richard I have a headache," Emily said, letting her husband know she wanted to be left alone.  
  
Richard sighed and left. "Hi mom and dad, it's me-Lorelai," he heard as he reached the stairs. He glanced back but decided it was best to just leave his wife alone for now, and continued down the stairs.  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
Rory hit her two wooden paint stirrers together happily as Lorelai looked at the different color paints in Williams Hardware.  
  
"Lorelai, darling, how are you?" Miss Patty called as she wandered down the aisle.  
  
"Good," Lorelai said, surprised to see Miss Patty there, "Are you still remodeling?"  
  
"Oh, heavens no," she said with a laugh, "I just came here for the view," she said eyeing some guys across the store who were looking at tools.  
  
Lorelai smiled, she had a feeling 'the view' was why Miss Patty had her bathroom redone in the first place.  
  
Rory banged her sticks together again and Miss Patty's eyes returned to the girls in front of her. "That's beautiful music you're making Rory."  
  
Lorelai grinned at her daughter, "I think she's going to be a drummer." Rory laughed and hit one of the paint cans, impressed by the new noise. "You want to get that color?"  
  
Rory hit the can a couple of more times, smiling at her mom. Lorelai grabbed the paint and turned to Miss Patty, whose attention had returned to the guys across the store. "I'll leave you to your view," she said with a laugh.  
  
"Bye darling," Miss Patty waved distractedly as Lorelai and Rory made their way to the checkout counter.  
  
Lorelai placed the paint can, paint brush, and paint roller in Rory's stroller that she had left outside the hardware store and she and Rory wandered down the street. "We need food, don't we?" she asked as they stood outside of Doose's Market. Rory nodded and they walked inside.  
  
"You must be Lorelai and Rory," a man came up to her the second she was in the store. How did this guy know her? "I'm Taylor Doose, owner of Doose's market, it's nice to finally meet you."  
  
Lorelai smiled cautiously, not really sure if she should know who the guy was. Rory seemed to pick up on her mom's confusion because she curled up against Lorelai and watched Taylor carefully.  
  
"Miss Patty said you're working at the Inn?"  
  
Miss Patty. Lorelai was getting the idea that that woman kept herself up to date on everyone's lives, and kept everyone else up to date too. "Um, yeah," Lorelai finally answered.  
  
"Lovely place. Mia's a charming woman."  
  
"Yeah, she is."  
  
"Are you looking for anything in particular?" he asked as he led her farther into the store.  
  
"No, just food," she answered.  
  
Taylor looked at the girl, she was so young. He sighed, that's what happened when a town didn't work to control their teenagers. They ended up pregnant, or drug addicts, or both. He smiled at Rory who was watching him with wide blue eyes, "We're having a sale on baby food."  
  
"Ok, thanks," Lorelai said as they wandered down the aisle. She looked around, she didn't know how to cook so she'd have to get frozen dinner. But she didn't have a freezer, or a microwave. Maybe she could afford one of those really small refrigerators with a tiny freezer inside. And Mia would probably let her use a microwave in the kitchen. She turned back to Taylor, "Do you know where I could find one of those little refrigerators with the tiny freezers in them?" Taylor looked at her blankly. O-kay, she thought, maybe this town wasn't up on modern appliances.  
  
"Sears sells them," a voice said and the owner of the voice appeared shortly after. They guy looked about her age and his name tag read Kirk. "But the closest Sears is in Hartford."  
  
"Thanks," she told him. She had no desire to go to Hartford so soon after she'd left. With her luck she'd run into her mother. She decided she'd have to get just the baby food for now. The frozen dinners would have to wait until she could buy them a home. She grabbed a couple bags of chips with the baby food and headed to the check out counter where Kirk rang her up and bagged her things.  
  
"Hope to see you at the town meeting this week," Taylor called as she left.  
  
She smiled and gave a little nod, trying to wrap her head around the idea of town meetings.  
  
End of Part 3  
  
I'm going out of town for a few days but hopefully I'll have some updates when I get back. :-D 


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